One Safe Place
by RuthieTudor
Summary: She has the one thing he doesn't: Faith. Can she make him a believer or will he make her question it all? House/OC. T for language.
1. London

A/N: I'm taking a short break from my other story (It's called Closer to Fine. Read it if you haven't!!) and I've started this small piece. It will probably become a rather large piece. REVIEW and let me know if you enjoy it and think I should keep going. If you want someone to picture for Michael, I modeled him after a Stephen Fry like character. I think he talks like him and acts like him. So picture Stephen Fry as a church chaplain and you'll be good to go. I'm not sure about Elizabeth. My original girl characters always seem to resemble myself.

* * *

My name is Elizabeth and I've spent the last thirty-five years of my life waiting. I don't know what I'm waiting for, but I know I'm waiting. Many girls spend the better part of their lives waiting for prince charming or some other rich character to come busting out of the background at them. I don't think I'm waiting for that sort of person, really. I wouldn't mind having a man around but I've spent so many years alone that I wouldn't mind staying alone either.

I work as a chaplain and I've been assigned to many different places since I started. I've been to Africa and Asia as well as working in England, where I live now. But this new job was going to be the most exciting one yet. I was going back to America to stay with my sister and work in the same hospital with her. Apparently, it was a place in New Jersey. A college and a nice one at that. One of the "Ivy League" schools, as she calls them. I haven't been back in America since I graduated from Seminary. My sister, Lisa, had come to visit me in Europe a couple of times but mostly we just talked on the phone.

As I packed my bags I racked my brain to make sure I didn't forget anything. Most of my things would be sent over later but I wanted to make sure I didn't forget my toothbrush or my laptop. My plane left in four hours and I wasn't nearly ready to go.

A sharp knock on my door startled me and I yelped, "Come in!"

"Getting more non-conventional by the minute, I see. It's usually acceptable for a simple spoken answer. No need to yell. I'm not deaf yet." Michael Andrews, a close friend and colleague of mine, entered my room and shut the door softly behind him, "Almost ready for the long flight back to the colonies?"

"I don't think it's been called the colonies for some time now Michael. Maybe you should be more conventional yourself." I chuckled and zipped up my suitcase, "I'm almost ready. My flight leaves soon enough. Are you going to drive me to the airport?"

"Well of course I am! No use leaving you to walk; you'll never get there in time! America needs you Lizzie!" He grabbed one of my two giant suitcases and heaved it off the bed, "Good gracious! What are you taking with you? Rocks?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled the other huge bag off the bed, "Oh come on, Michael. Be a man!"

"Last time I checked, I was a man! That doesn't mean I should have to carry this gargantuan thing!" He pulled up the handle and rolled it behind him out of the door to the flat and towards his car, "Seriously, what did you pack?"

"Just clothes, honestly! You'd think you were a prisoner of war during Korea." I rolled my suitcase after him and he heaved it into the back of the car after the first.

"Well thank goodness I wasn't. If they had to carry suitcases like those around all day, I don't think I would have lasted five minutes!" He laughed his booming laugh and turned towards me, "I'm going to miss your sense of humor Liz. Do you really have to go?"

I nodded and looked at the ground, "It's been a long time since I've seen my sister. I need to go and help her out. I promise I'll come back if America turns out to be no good."

He smirked down at me, "Well then I won't rent out your flat. America _always_ turns out to be no good."

I scoffed at him and got in the car, "We'll see about that, Mr. Andrews."

He got in the drivers side and started the car. As he pulled away from the curb, a light rain started to fall.

"I think England is crying for it's loss." Michael switched on the windshield wipers and turned up the heat. The car got cozy and the faint voice of the BBC newscaster in the background lulled me into a comfortable sleep.

I awoke to the shaking of my shoulder and the sound of Michael's frantic, "Wake up Lizzie! You'll miss your plane!"

"What? What time is it?" I rubbed my eyes and glanced around. I was sure I had a funny mark on my forehead from where I'd been resting it on the window glass.

"It's time to go, Liz. Your plane is leaving soon. Come on girl. I'll help you in." He jumped out of the car and ran to the back to get my bags. I pulled myself out of the passengers side and made my way for the luggage.

"Didn't get much sleep last night, eh?" He pulled both bags out of the trunk with very little effort, it seemed. Before I could blink I was holding the handle to one and he was pulling me after him.

"I was too excited to sleep." I muttered and followed like an obedient duckling. I rubbed my eyes one last time and looked around. This was the last time I was to see Heathrow Airport for a while. I thought I'd better get my last look around in before I boarded the plane.

Before I knew what was happening, Michael had gotten my bags checked and was standing with me at the check in point, "I can't go any father with you, Lizzie. This is it."

He pulled me into his giant embrace and I wanted nothing more than to tell him to take me back to the flat. I'd go to America another day.

"You'd better go get checked in." I started to tear up and he noticed before I did, "Oh, none of that girl. You'll be fine. It isn't like you've never been to America before."

"I'm not worried about that! I'm going to miss you guys. You especially, Mike." I hugged him again and he chuckled into my dark brown hair.

"I'll miss you too. I expect lots of pictures in my email and phone calls once a week." He pulled me back and looked into my eyes, "You're going to do great, I'm sure. I have faith in you. The good Lord will watch out for you and bring you home safely."

I started to cry and he quickly turned me around and pushed me towards the metal detector, "Hurry, go! Before you make a bad decision."

I did as I was told and walked through the plastic arch and emerged on the other side, no worse for wear. I turned and looked back at him. He waved and then motioned for me to keep going. I grabbed my carry-on bag and walked away from my best friend and the man I thought I was in love with.


	2. Princeton

A/N: Sorry for the delay and the shortness. My other story (called Closer to Fine) is going poorly (aka I'm stuck) and I was hoping that writing a chapter here would get me back into the swing. It didn't. But this one is going well. Happy reading.

Disclaimer: Lizzie is mine. Cuddy, Wilson, PPTH, and all that stuff are David Shore's. God is... God.

* * *

My sister, Lisa, lived in a house that was way too big for one person. I absently wondered how much money the Dean of Medicine position awarded. The moment I'd arrived Lisa began doting on me. She showed me my room and asked about jet lag. When I finally convinced her I wasn't too tired – I'd slept on the plane – she offered to cook something.

"I don't really know what I have, but I can scrounge around for something." She already had her head stuck in a cabinet. I wondered for a moment whether she had always been like this or if it had come on in the last five years or so. After thinking for a moment, I realized she'd always been mothering, just not this flitty. Maybe she was nervous.

"Let's just go somewhere, Lise. You can show me around town and stuff." I leaned on the counter and looked down at my older sister, she looked like she was going to collapse on the spot, "You look tired."

"Lately, I've been spending a lot of time at the hospital. I don't have time for things like sleep. I'm surprised I could find time to be here when you got here." She'd removed herself from the cabinet and had grabbed her purse and keys from the counter, "Let's go before I collapse right here."

I grabbed my things and followed her out, waiting for her to lock the door behind us. I already felt as though I belonged, even though I'd only been there for an hour.

We arrived at a good looking Chinese restaurant at a quarter to seven. I was starved and she looked like she was ready to eat too. I was ready to sit down and have a real conversation with my elder sister. Those phone conversations never really did anything for me. Halting hellos and platitudes followed by awkward goodbyes with promises of more calls and more cliches. I could do without telephone conversations, thank you very much.

"Princeton isn't very big, but it's a nice town. I think you'll like the hospital too. Everyone gets along well there. I've been trying to find a new oncology chaplain for months. You'll get along well with Dr. Wilson, he's our head of oncology." She was chattering with a bored look on her face as she scanned the menu. I stayed quiet and just nodded, choosing the sesame chicken and looking around for our waitress. I felt odd, like I was on vacation. Like this was all a dream and my big sister wasn't really sitting across from me, looking like the life had been sucked out of her.

"Liz? Are you alright? You look like you're going to be sick." I looked up and shook my head. I was fine, just a bit of nausea. It would pass. I always got nauseous when I got nostalgic. It was a burden I had to bear.

"Just sick from the flying. I'll be fine." I folded my menu and took a sip of my diet coke, studying the restaurant.

"So, how long have you been talking with the British accent?" Lisa had folded her menu too and was looking at me almost as hard as I was avoiding looking at her.

"What? Oh, that. I guess it just rubbed off. I imagine it'll go away after a while. It's been six years, Lise." She nodded at me and studied me some more. I tried to duck from her gaze but it was piercing. I imagined she'd gained that ability from her years as a hospital administrator.

"You've grown up a lot. You finally look your age." She smiled at me and I tried to smile back. I mustered an awkward grimace and stopped it as soon as I'd started. I fingered the dark brown curls at my shoulder and wondered what she was seeing when she looked at me. Was she seeing the little girl that I felt inside? The little girl who wanted to run and hide away from the penetrating stare of her elder and more accomplished sister.

The waitress finally returned and freed me from appraisal. She brought us some egg rolls and refilled my soda before leaving us again. I noticed the vast emptiness of the restaurant and wondered why more people didn't eat out on Wednesday nights.

"I imagine you won't want to come to the hospital tomorrow. You should sleep in and get some rest. You can come in on Friday and I'll show you your office and you can sign the paperwork. I won't make you work until Monday." She grinned at that and I tried again to smile back. This time I managed a pretty good interpretation of one and was proud of myself for doing so. "What's wrong, Liz? You seem so distant. Are you alright?"

That concerned sister look was back and I tried to wipe it away with a fervent nod, "I'm fine Lisa. This is just a lot to get used to. I need a minute to adjust and get my bearings." She frowned but nodded, "I miss England but I'll get over it." I shrugged and smiled, honestly this time.

"Well tell me all about England. What did you do there? Did you work in a hospital?" And we were off. She'd asked the loaded question which required just as much explanation as the 'is there a God' question. What do you do? – The question which I was, more often than not, loathe to hear.

I explained what we were doing at the hospital in London and what we had done for the Lutheran church that ran it. I spent all the time it took for the wait staff to prepare and deliver our food explaining, in fact. By the time I was done I was halfway through with my chicken and she had a glazed look on her face. I wondered absently what she told people when they asked her what she did. Was 'I'm dean of medicine' enough to placate them?

Before I knew what was happening, we were back at Lisa's house and I was laying in her guest bedroom, staring at the ceiling, and reminding myself to at least attempt to pray. I'd established a funny relationship with God, which I often chalk up to the cynic in me. Sure, I believed in Him, I just felt funny talking to Him if He refused to answer. Generally, I didn't pray. Only in dire situations did I ever pray. I told many of my friends and those who came to me for counseling that it wasn't a necessity to pray every night at eight o'clock. God doesn't care whether you pray or not, really. It's about what makes you feel better, in the end, and praying every night just didn't make me feel any better.

I only prayed when it was needed. No need to overload God's inbox, right? My prayers were the kind that come with torrents of tears, bruised knees, and curse words. The kind that usually have the word hate in them and the kind that usually end in 'please forgive me for what I just said'. After all, no one is perfect.

I didn't pray that night and I didn't feel bad. I said something little to myself, something like, "God, give me strength." That was enough for me and I knew it was enough for him. I thought about Mike and began to tear up. Curled on my side with my face pushed against a pillow, I sobbed like a baby that night. No more prayer was heard.


	3. Meetings

A/N: It's storming outside and I'm on a roll tonight! Please review to let me know what you think!!

* * *

I'd heard of Princeton before but I don't think I'd ever really thought about how much money really sat on that campus. On Friday, around ten o'clock in the morning, I drove a rental car that I'd picked up the day before to the school. The hospital sat on the east side and it was huge. After parking and walking the mile from my spot to the front door, I'd already spent five minutes speculating how much money it took to run this building alone.

When I walked in I was greeted with a lot of hustle and bustle. There was a set of double glass doors on my right that were labeled 'Clinic' and a bank of elevators on my left. My sister had told me that if I went through the doors marked 'Clinic' and walked straight back, I'd find her office. When I walked in, however, I had no trouble finding her. She was standing at what I could only assume was the nurses' station, arguing with a man. The man was literally sitting on the counter of the nurses' station and eating a red lollypop. I stopped and watched for a minute, enjoying the scene. She looked like she was about ready to hit him and I wondered if I should intervene. Was this man a patient?

Upon further examination the man turned out to be rather attractive. He was closer to my sister's age, probably, but that didn't put him too much older than me. He looked like he was smart and he looked like he knew my sister very well. He also looked like he was hitting on my sister. I nearly gaped when I realized he kept looking down at her chest. Did she notice that? How could she not?

He grabbed a cane and hopped off the counter rather deftly. He had a rather pronounced limp and when he walked past me he slowed down and looked me over. I felt rather odd, like a dress in a shop or something. He left the clinic and I walked over to my sister, who still hadn't noticed my arrival.

"Busy day?" I leaned against the counter and watched the man, who'd just obviously flirted with my sister and then looked me over like a piece of meat, get on an elevator.

"Elizabeth! Is it ten already?" She signed something and closed a file, placing it in a stack of other files and walking towards her office. I followed her and tried to keep up with her fast pace.

"Ten o'clock and ticking. Who was that guy?" I motioned back over my shoulder and she looked back at me in confusion.

"What guy?" She pushed open the door to her office and we walked through. I noticed the colors and grimaced, my sister was eclectic.

"That guy that you were arguing with. The man with the cane." I sat down in a chair across from her desk and she sat behind said desk, automatically organizing the papers on it.

"Oh-" She got this look on her face that I'm not sure I can describe. It was a combination of love and hate and everything in between. This guy definitely meant something to Lisa. "That was Doctor House. He works here. He's the head of our diagnostics department. You'll probably end up seeing a lot of him too. His best friend is Doctor Wilson, the head of oncology."

"Oh." I didn't have much to say to that, yet. Except for one thing, "He has the hots for you." Lisa's head shot up and she gave me a look that said, 'What are you, five?' I gave her a look that implied that I knew what I was talking about and she shouldn't question me and she shook her head.

"You need to sign these so we can put you on payroll. Also, some confidentiality forms. Nothing you haven't seen before." I signed them all without reading them, "I tried to block a whole hour for you but I have a board meeting soon, come on. I'll take you upstairs to your office and introduce you to Doctor Wilson. I'll try to give you the dime tour too." She scooped the paperwork up and dropped it in an outbox on her desk.

We got up and exited the office as quickly as we'd entered. It seemed to me that everything in Lisa's life moved at warp speeds. I could understand how she would be tired all the time if she had to move around like this every day.

"Your office is on the third floor. It's right next to Doctor Wilson's which is convenient. We try to put all of the oncology people together, to make it easier on everyone." We had stopped to stand in the elevator and I watched the numbers go up, not really listening, "You're free to decorate your office however you want. You do know we're interdenominational, right? So you don't have to be preachy." I nodded and smiled. That was probably the only reason why I'd really come here. My opinion of religion was very laid back and I'd always worked better when it was general.

We stepped out of the elevators and walked down the hallway. We walked past a long row of glass, behind which were three doctors – I assumed – who were arguing with each other. We arrived at a wooden door which stated that this was the office of a Dr. James Wilson and that he was the head of oncology. 'Good for him.' I thought to myself and I almost snickered. I was being snarky today.

Lisa knocked quietly and there was some commotion and then a loud, "Come in!" elicited from inside. I raised my eyebrows and looked over at Lisa and she shrugged. She turned the handle and opened the door and, after taking one look into that room, I was ready to turn back. The man, that Dr. House, was in there. He was laying on a couch directly adjacent to the door and he grinned when Lisa opened the door.

"Dr. Cuddy! How wonderful to see you!" His voice was deep and dripping with sarcasm. I thought my eyebrows were going to merge with my hairline, they were so high on my forehead.

"Dr. Cuddy? Oh! Dr. Cuddy!" There was another man who I couldn't see yet, he was behind my sister and the door.

"Did I disturb you Dr. Wilson, Dr. House?" Lisa had the professional mask on and I wondered why she didn't just lighten up a little. This Dr. House had the idea, I think.

"Oh, no. House was just leaving." The man, who I could only assume was Dr. Wilson, got up and walked around his desk, giving me a clear view of him. He was average height, average build, average everything. At the same time he looked nice. In fact, he looked so nice, I almost wanted to hug him right there. He was the kind of guy you took home to mom. At the moment, he had a look of confusion and mild terror on his face. I wondered if my sister had elicited that look and I could only assume that she had. She had that ability. I sympathized with Dr. Wilson immediately and tried to convey it to him.

"I was not! I just got here!" Dr. House wasn't budging and my sister didn't really seem to care much. Dr. Wilson, on the other hand, was desperately trying to send messages to Dr. House with his eyes and Dr. House was pretending he didn't understand. It was all very laughable. In fact, I did laugh.

The second my laugh entered the world, I wished I hadn't. I berated myself silently, 'That wasn't very professional, Elizabeth. What will Lisa think?' In fact, Lisa was shooting me a look that said, 'Thanks for backing me up' in the most sarcastic voice possible. I could hear her in my head, almost.

"Finally! Someone who isn't full of vinegar. Who is that behind you Cuddy?" Dr. House, while supporting his right thigh, threw his legs over and sat up, gazing at me judgmentally.

"This is our newest oncology chaplain, House. Be nice to her or it'll be personal." Lisa stepped into the room and, grabbing my arm, pulled me in with her. I tried to protest without looking too childlike and failed miserably.

"Rumor says she's your sister and looks confirm." Dr. House looked over at Dr. Wilson and smiled, "What are we going to do with ourselves. Two Cuddys in one hospital?" He looked back at my sister and made a dramatic face, "It's too much."

My sister glared at him and looked to Dr. Wilson, "This is my sister Elizabeth. She's your new chaplain." Her voice was monotone and she suddenly sounded like she wanted to be anywhere but there. She was uncomfortable.

Dr. Wilson held his hand out to me and I shook it, "It's good to meet you Elizabeth. You can call me Dr. Wilson or just Wilson if you want, everyone else does." He shot a look to Dr. House and I smirked.

"Nice to meet you." His grip was firm and his hands were warm and I relished it.

Dr. House, however, ruined my moment by standing up and sticking his hand in my face, "Greg House, howyadoin?" He said it like one word and I felt my eyes get big. Who did this guy think he was?

"Liz Cuddy, I'm good." I shook his hand and mused over the difference between his handshake and his friend's. Dr. House's hands were cold and, though his grip was firm, it was noncommittal, like it was all for show. I assumed that it probably was just that, a show.

"Dr. Wilson, I was wondering if you had a lot on your plate for the morning, would you mind showing Elizabeth around a bit. Just the basic stuff. I have a board meeting to be at in a little bit and I don't think I have time to give her a tour." My sister piped up from behind me and I silently thanked her for saving me from more words with the crazy doctor who had only just dropped my hand.

"I think I'm free for a bit. I could use the distraction, at least. No problem." Dr. Wilson smiled down at me and I smiled back. His smiled were contagious. I liked him immediately.

"Thank you. You're saving me here." She was gone with a flourish that could only be done by Lisa Cuddy and there was a definite hole left behind. I felt like a baby rabbit in a foxhole. One of the two men in front of me was both horrifying and intriguing and the other was exactly the opposite.

"Well, lets do that tour, shall we? This is my office, obviously. Dr. House's office is right next door. His balcony and mine are connected, unfortunately." I tried not to smile at that and failed, he was smiling too, though, so I felt better for it. He opened his office door and held it for me, motioning me out. Dr. House got to me first though.

"After Wilson is done with you, stop by my office. I'll show you the inside of the cafeteria and you can tell me about God." I gave him a confused look and swallowed. I wasn't lying to myself, he scared me. I nodded though and he nodded back, "Make sure you do." Before I could respond he was out the balcony door and hopping over the concrete barrier. I absentmindedly wondered how he could do that when he had to walk with a cane.

Dr. Wilson cleared his throat and I turned, walking through the door. Now, not only did I have to remember how to get back to my sister's office, I had to have lunch with the crazy doctor who had the hots for my sister. This was going to be a day to remember.


	4. Dust

A/N: Please review!! It helps.

* * *

"So, that's about it. There isn't much to it really." We were standing in my empty office and I was looking around at the blank walls with disdain. Dr. Wilson kept looking at his watch and then back at my face. I think he was hoping for a more upbeat reaction.

"Thanks for the tour Dr. Wilson. I appreciate it, really." I ran my hand across the desk and stared at the sky blue colored walls.

"It's no problem, really." His pager went off and he looked down at it, scowling, "I've got to go, there's an emergency that needs my attention. Are you okay here?"

I nodded vigorously in consent and shooed him out. Who was I to keep him away from a dying person? I was just lost in a sea of doctors and sickness, he couldn't help me anyway.

I sat down behind the desk and put my head in my hands and that is where – five minutes later – Dr. House found me.

"My office is more fun to look at than yours." He barged in without knocking and I almost fell out of the chair I was sitting in.

"What are you doing?" My voice was about ten octaves too high and I noticed it, immediately clearing my throat and trying again, more calmly, "Don't you knock?"

"Oh no, we don't do that around here. I guess you haven't been around long enough to notice yet. We don't knock, we just enter." He looked around the room and then waved his cane at me, "Come on, I'm hungry, if you hurry I'll buy. I can only stand around here for so long you know."

I didn't move and we locked gazes for what seemed like a hundred years. In fact, it was probably two seconds because he was out the door faster than a snake down a hole. I thought about it for a second, realized I could use a free lunch and the company, and sprinted after him.

By the time I caught up with him he was already pushing the elevator button at the other end of the hallway, "Thought you were abandoning me."

I shrugged and we both watched the numbers light up, "I wouldn't do that. You're too intriguing."

He glanced down and me and I glanced back, "Who, me?" I think he was in honest disbelief.

I shrugged again, "Sure. You're the most interesting person I've met so far."

The elevator opened and he stepped in, holding the door with his cane so I could get on, "Don't discount Wilson." I looked up at him in confusion and he smirked at me, "He has his moments."

* * *

Decorating my office was a breeze. I brought in all my books and hung some paintings and brought in my little love seat and suddenly the room was too small. I stood in the center of my finished office on that Tuesday and looked around. I was proud of the work I'd done. Everything was in order. I'd stolen some pens and other necessities from a huge supply I'd found somewhere – that would likely never be found again – and my sister had set the matenience staff to work with setting my computer up.

A couple of Dr. Wilson's patients had already asked to make appointments to see me and had called me directly to do so. Mostly, I did in hospital visits. This meant that I visited the patients while they were staying in the hospital and usually that meant that I was consoling them and their families while they were dying. I kept up with all of the oncology patients that requested to have chaplain services and I visited them every once in a while, just to chat. Then, when they begin to get worse, I sit with them and their families and try to lend hope and strength. I had told my sister that I would work inter-departmentally but really oncology was all I could handle.

I sat behind my desk and took a breather. I had a few minutes before I was supposed to have an appointment in my office with one of Dr. Wilson's patients. It was already almost eleven o'clock in the morning and I couldn't believe how quickly time had gone the past few days. I'd spent the weekend looking for an apartment with my sister and we'd found the perfect one. I was supposed to move in the next week, if everything went well. My sister gave me the 'I don't understand how you can live in such a tiny space' lecture again and I suffered through it. I was happy to be getting back to normal. I had a job, I was getting an apartment, and soon I could get a car and maybe a life would follow suit. I still missed London but the space was starting to take it's toll and lack of communication was causing a big rift. I hadn't heard from Michael since I'd left and, though I'm sure it's probably just because he's busy, I couldn't help but think that maybe he was glad to be rid of me. I still missed everyone in England but I often wondered if they ever missed me.

Before I knew it there was a knock on my door and, looking at my clock, I noticed it was eleven and told my first patient to enter my office. Her name was Melissa Johnson and she told me that she was raised Lutheran and had always gone to church until she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Now that she was terminal she was doubting her faith and couldn't understand why this was happening to her. We discussed all the deep stuff before lunch and, as I ushered her out of my office, I found my stomach growling rather loudly.

I looked at my watch and then looked at my schedule, noticing I had three patients I needed to meet with this afternoon. I had time to have a good lunch and then I could start visiting my in hospital patients. I'd worked in hospitals most of my life so I was used to this schedule.

I left my office and headed for the elevator. I decided to stop by my sister's office and see what she was doing and try to convince her to have lunch with me. I glanced in Dr. House's office on my way to the elevators only to find a bunch of empty chairs and an angry looking blonde guy – who I assumed was one of the fellows he had told me about – doing a crossword puzzle. I kept walking and wondered where he was. Not that I minded or anything. He was an odd character, that was for sure. He had told me during lunch last Friday that he wouldn't mind making lunch with me a habitual sort of thing and then he'd disappeared. I noticed that doctors usually did that sort of thing and I tried to ignore it.

I entered the clinic and found it to be bustling with life, as usual. My sister had told me over the phone weeks before I came that the clinic was always busy and they always needed help. Unfortunately, the only thing I was certified to do – as far as healthcare was concerned – was CPR and I didn't think that was going to help much.

I made my way past all of the sick people and tried to avoid getting coughed on. Nurse Brenda, whom my sister had introduced me to the week before, looked like she was about to have a heart attack but my sister was no where to be found. I waved at her and she nodded at me from behind a stack of files, I think she tried to smile but it came across as more of a grimace, I couldn't blame her.

My sister was in her office and so was Dr. House. They were shouting at each other and I stood in the tiny adjoining room, too scared to go in and too lonely to leave. I saw my sister sit down behind her desk and begin to ignore him and I knew their conversation was over. Dr. House, however, didn't turn to leave. He sat down in a chair across from her and tried to stare her down. The sight was almost laughable. I knocked meekly and thought that if Lisa didn't hear me knocking I'd pretend that she was busy and go to the cafeteria by myself.

Dr. House turned around and shot the most horrific glare I think I've ever seen towards me. I stopped to make sure all my bones didn't fall out before taking a step back. He realized who I was and toned the glare down a bit but he didn't stop glaring all together. My sister looked up and waved me in nonchalantly, like this happened every day.

I opened the door and gingerly stepped in – I felt like I was walking on broken glass, "Ignore House, Lizzie, he's just come to try to ruin my day. What can I do for you?"

I looked over at Dr. House and wondered how a person could possibly ignore him. I'd stepped forward so I was in line with Lisa's desk and he was taking a good long look at my bottom. I tried to weigh the positives. He wasn't glaring at me anymore. Now he was just staring at my butt.

"I came to see if you were busy for lunch. I'm starved and I haven't seen you since Sunday." I took a giant step away from Dr. House and tried to keep my eyes on Lisa.

She glanced at her computer and then looked up at me, "I think I can spare a while to have lunch with my baby sister." She stood up and grabbed her bag off the floor, "I know this great place that's right around the corner."

"What about my pills!" Dr. House pipped up from the chair he was still occupying. I got the momentary urge to glare down at him for ruining my small triumph. I'd gotten my sister to abandon work and I counted that as a triumph.

Lisa put her arm through mine to lead me out of her office, "I'm sure you'll find some, somewhere."

We left Dr. House in our dust.


End file.
